Fiber-needle cutter.



T. W. KIRKMAN.

FIBER NEEDLE CUTTER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. [9. m3.

JLQLW QW, Patented Dec. 5,1916. 4

THOMAS w. KIRKMAN, or new YORK, n. Y., ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, To

KIRKMAN ENGINEERING CORPORATION, OF YORK, N. "1., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

FIBER-NEEDLE cUTTnn.

Application filed August 19, 1913.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, THOMAS W. KIRKMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fiber-Needle Cutters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to cutters such as those for trimming the points on fiber ne dles for talking machines, and its principal objects are to obtain a relatively-large knifeoperating leverage in a compact structure, to provide for the reception and storage of chips,- to furnish an improved stop or gage for the work, and to provide a mode of mounting the knife which shall enable the latter to be attached and removed without the use of separate fastening devices.

Of the accompanying drawings Figure 1 represents a front elevation, partly in section, of my improved cutting device with the casing. cover removed. Fig. 2 represents a side elevation, partly in section, looking from the right in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 represents a front elevation, partly in section, showing the position of the parts when the knife is performing its cutting operation. Fig. 4 represents an exterior edge view of the device. Fig. 5 represents a perspective view of one of the fiber needles.

In the drawings represents a wellknown form of fiber needle having a beveled end 11. which it is the object of devices of this class to trim so as to preserve a sharp point. 7

12 is a flat cylindrical casing, of a size adapted to be held in the users hand, and provided with a removable cover 13 and a central stud 14 to which said cover 13 is secured by means of a screw stem 15. The casing has a hole in one side in which is mounted a guide or holder 16 suitably shaped to receive and support the needle during the cutting operation, this guide be ing made of sheet metal and secured on the inside of the casing by means of a bolt 17. Said bolt also serves as an attachment for the stationary sheet-metal plate 18, which has an aperture 19 for the passage of the needle, the lower edge of said aperture acting as a stationary shearing member.

The stud 14L iscarried by a pair of frame plates 20, secured by rivets 21 to the back of the g, and a pivet for the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 5, 1916.

Serial No. 785,461.

knife-lever 22, carrying the movable knife 23. This knife-lever is composed of two parallel plates as seen in Fig. 2, and is pivoted at 24 to a pair of toggle-Jinks 25, having a pivotal connection at 26 with another toggle-link 27 pivoted at 28 to the fixed plates 20, this link 27 having an extension or stem which projects through an aperture 29 in the casing, and is provided on the outside with a knob or handle 30. Straight lines connecting the four pivots 14, 24, 26, 28 inclose or form a substantially diamond-shaped figure, and the toggle spans or straddles the pivot 14. A spring 31 attached to the pivot bar 24 and to a hook 32 mounted between the frame plates tends to crook the toggle and retract the knife-lever and knife. The toggle-links are preferably curved as shown, to conform to the curvature of the casing when in their outermost position, and the casing acts as a stop to limit their outward or knife-retracting movement.

33 is a looped leaf-spring whose upper or fixed end is hooked at 34: and engaged with a pair of com-plemental hooks 35 on the toggle-links 25 to anchor the spring, its adjacent straight portion abutting against cheeks 36 on the links, and the links being suitably recessed for inserting and detaching the spring. The free end of spring 33 bears against the knife 23 between the cutting edge of the latter and its point of attachment to the lever 22. The tang of said knife is T- shaped and its wings 37 rest in recesses in the plates of the lever 22, the walls of which confine said wings against movement in an outward direction and in the plane of the knife. Thus the knife is detachably interlocked with its holder 22 and held in place by the spring 33 in conjunction with the fixed shear-plate 18, the opening 19 of which is narrower than the blade of the knife as seen in Fig. 2, so that the sides of said plate guide the knife in its sliding movement. Spring 33 holds the knife-edge in the cutting plane and allows it to work with a minimum of friction. With the knife in its retracted position as shown in Fig. 1 the spring 33 bears thereon with a relatively-light pressure, so that the knife may be readily removed if desired, but when the knife is projected as shown in Fig. 3, the decreased angle between its holder 22 and the toggle link 25 on which the spring is anchored causes said spring to bear against the knife with greater pressure and thus insures that the knife shall beheld against plate 18 during the cut.

By the described mode of mounting the knife and its spring and interlocking them with their supports, they may be quickly removed and replaced without the aid of screws or other separate fastening means.

38 is a needle-gaging and stop member formed on a plate 39 attached to the knifelever 22,- said platehaving a slot 410 occupied by the casing stud 1 1, and another slot 41 occupied by an attaching screw 42, whereby the plate may be adjustably fixed to the leverand its stop 38 moved in and out in a direction substantially radial to the stud 14: to regulate the thickness of the chip cut from the end of needle 10. The'acting face of stop 39 is a surface parallel to the axis of the stud 14- and suitably curved so that its line of contact with theend of the needle travels in a plane substantially parallel to the path of the cutting edge of knife 23 while said stop remains in engagement with the needle.

43 is a partition plate having one end secured between the edge of one of the plates ofknife-lever 22 and an offset 14 on the stop-plate 39, for the purpose of dividing the interior of the casing 12 into two compartments, in the upper one of which most of the operating parts are located, while the lower compartment forms a chamber or receptacle 15 for the accumulation of chips,

. which are retained without liability to clog the operating mechanism, and may be dis- 7 charged from time to time on removal of the cover 13. It will be noted that the righthand end ofplate 43 is located in the rear of (above) the cutting edge of the knife 23, and substantially meets the leaf-spring 33, thus preventing any ofthe chips from getting into the knife-operating mechanism. By attaching this partition plate to one of the members 20,22 (though not necessarily to theknife-holder 22) and having it travel with the pivoted knife-holder, a maximum of chip-holding spaceis providedand the mechanism protected from clogging as described. c

In operating this device, a fiber needle 10 is inserted in guide 16 and its inward movement is arrested by the stop 38, which gages said needle to the proper position for 'a cut. Inward pressure is then exerted by the operator on handle 30, and the toggle-links 25, 27 cause the knife-lever 22 to turnon stud carry the edge of knife 23 across the end of the needle, thereby trimming said end and forming -a sharp pointon the needle. The stop 38 remains in engagement with the needle until the knife has begun the cut, and then recedes below the needle as shown in Fig. 3, allowing the chip free escape into the lowercompartment. When pressure 011 the knob 30 is released, the spring 31 automatically retracts the knife-lever and toggle.

By employing a toggle to operate the knife and mounting said knife on a pivoted holder as shown, I obtain great power in a compact structure and with a minimum of friction. Furthermore, by constructing and mounting the parts and combining them with a casing in the manner described, I furnish a device which is convenient to handle, neat, and with working parts well protected. The quick demountability of the knife, and the efiiciency and simplicity of the needle-stop are additional features which contribute to the utility of my invention. In cutting the needlepoint this device is readily carried in and operated with one hand, the most convenient method being to squeeze the knob 30 and the opposite side of the casing between the palm and fingers.

Various modifications may be made without departing from my invention, and the latter is not confined in its application to use with talking-machine needles. For example, with a suitable shape and arrange ment of the work-holder 16, it is obvious that my device could be employed as a leadpencil sharpener or a cigar cutter.

I claim:

1. A cutter comprising a support, a workholder stationarily mounted thereon for presenting the work to the knife, a knife-holder pivoted to said support, a pair of toggle links for actuating said knife-holder, said links being pivotally connected to each other and one of them pivoted to the free end of the knife-holder, while the other is pivoted on said support, the said knife-holder and links being so arranged that straight lines connecting their pivots would form a substantially diamond-shaped figure, means for applying pressure to the pivotal connecting point of said links toward the pivot of the knife-holder to elongate said figure and produce the cutting stroke of the knife-holder, and means for yieldingly retracting the knife-holder.

2. A cutter comprising a. pivoted knifeholder having a knife, a pair of togglelinks spanning the pivot of said holder for operating the latter, a casing inclosing the aforesaid mechanism and having a space for the reception of chips, a handle extending from the knuckle of the toggle to the outside of the casing for operating said 7 toggle, and a work-holder on said casing. ltagainst the tension of spring 31, and

.3. A cutter comprising a circular casing having a removable cover, a knife-holder pivoted substantially centrally of said casing and having a knife, a work-holder, and knife-operating mechanism on one side of the pivot of said knife-holder, the casingspace on the opposite side of said pivot constituting a receptacle for chips.

4. A cutter comprising a circular casing,

one side of which forms a removable cover, the other side having a central stud to which said cover is attached, said casing having a space for the reception of chips, a work holder, a knife having a holder pivoted on said stud, and mechanism for oscillating said knife-holder.

5. A cutter comprising a casing, a knifeholder pivoted therein and having a knife, mechanism on one side of the pivot of said knife-holder for operating the latter, and a partition plate mounted in said casing and having one end located back of the cutting edge of the knife and movable with the knife-holder, for dividing the easing into a space containing the operating mechanism and a space for the reception of chips.

6. A cutter comprising a fiat cylindrical casing having a removable cover, a frame attached to the wall of the casing opposite said cover, a knife-iolder pivoted 011 said frame to swing in the plane of said casing, a knife on said holder, a work-holder, and mechanism for operating said knife-holder, having an external handle.

7. A cutter comprising a flat cylindrical casing, one side of which forms a removable cover, a knife and knife-operating mechanism mounted substantially in the upper half of said casing on the wall thereof opposite to the cover, the lower half constituting a receptacle for chips, and a partition separating the upper from the lower half of said casing.

8. A cutter comprising a circular casing, one side of which forms a removable cover, said casing having two apertures in its periphery, a work-holder appurtenant to one of said apertures, a frame within the casing secured to the wall thereof opposite the cover, a. stud in the center of the casing to which said cover is attached, a knife having a knife-holder pivoted on said stud, and a pair of toggle-links having their ends pivoted to said frame and knife-holder respectively, one of said links having an operating member extending from the knuckle of the toggle through the other of said apertures.

9. A cutter comprising a work-holder, a knife-holder having a knife detachably interlocked therewith, a spring carrier, and a leaf-spring detachably interlocked with said carrier and serving to hold said knife in place on the holder.

10. A cutter comprising a work-holder, fixed members on opposite sides thereof for guiding the movable knife, a movable knifeholder having a knife detachably interlocked therewith, and a leaf-spring bearing on the intermediate portion of said knife and serving to hold the latter in engagement with its holder and against said guiding members.

11. A cutter comprising a work-holder, fixed knife-guiding means, a knifeholder having a knife detachably interlocked therewith, a pair of links arranged as a toggle for operating said knife-holder, and a leafspring detachably interlocked with one of said links and bearing against said knife, for maintaining the latter in engagement with said knife-guiding means, the last-said link being arranged to decrease its angle with the knife-holder during the cutting stroke and thereby increase the pressure of the spring on the knife.

12. A fiber-needle cutter comprising a casing, a stud therein, a knife-holder pivoted on said stud, a needle-holder, a needle-stop plate adjustable toward and from said needle-holder, and a screw for securing said plate on the knifeholder, said plate having two slots occupied by said stud and screw respectively.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 18th day of August, 1913.

THOMAS W. KIRKMAN.

Witnesses:

RUssnLL BUNOE, G. BLAKE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

